Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato holding the nasal spray Naloxone, also known as Narcan.Ashley Peskoe/NJ.com

SEASIDE HEIGHTS – Seaside Heights police officers saved two more lives this week, marking the second and third times heroin deaths have been prevented with the opioid antidote Naloxone.

Shortly before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Patrolman Erik Hershey gave Naloxone, also known as Narcan, to a female in her mid-20’s in Seaside Park and she immediately became responsive, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato.

Later the same night, at around 8:30 p.m., Patrolman Edward Pasieka administered Narcan to a 22-year-old female, also saving her life, Coronato said.

Pasieka said when he arrived at the home someone came outside and showed him to the woman who was on the ground in the living room of the downstairs apartment. The woman had shallow breaths and her heart was barely beating, he said.

“You just got to keep your cool, use your training,” Pasieka said.

The two saves come just a few weeks after Seaside Heights Patrolman Daniel Davis used the nasal spray to reverse the effects of heroin on a man, also in his 20’s.

Davis said the training was fresh in his mind.

“Just the fact that you can save someone’s life is definitely a great feeling, but you kind of feel for that person, especially the way the heroin has been,” Davis said. “Having that as a tool definitely helps big time.”

Within hours of Coronato recognizing the Seaside Heights officers for their actions, prosecutor’s office spokesman Al Della Fave said a fourth heroin overdose death had been prevented in Lacey Township using Narcan.

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All municipal police departments in Ocean County were provided $25 Narcan kits, which contain a single dose, by the prosecutor’s office through drug forfeiture funds and were trained how to use it, Coronato said. After those are used, police departments must purchase the kit.

“These are the guys that are the true heroes,” Coronato said. “There’s a point in time when their actions matter, and in these instances their actions saved somebody’s life.”

Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd said everyone will be impacted by heroin at some point.

“This drug will effect everybody in the state of New Jersey, some how some way down the chain of events,” Boyd said. “Something in this day and age will effect you with this opiate use.”